Thursday, July 28, 2011

Book 97: Their Eyes Were Watching God and Book Stats.

Title: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Author: Zora Neale Hurstone (1891-1960)

First Published: 1937
My Edition: Harper Perennial Modern Classics (pictured at right)
Pages: 219

Other Works Include: Color Struck (1925), Jonah's Gourd Vine (1935), Moses, Man of the Mountain (1939)

I had originally picked this one up back in April at the end of the last read-a-thon. I got 30 pages into it, set it down on the nightstand, and it was eventually buried by the million other things I had to read in the meantime.

In a cleaning spree the other night, I uncovered it and felt immediately guilty. I hadn't set it aside because I disliked it...I just....forgot about it. And I blame that on the sickness that came over me back in April.

But I am excited to finally get back into this one and give it the attention that it deserves. I really loved those first 30 pages, so we'll see where this takes me this time around.

One thing I do want to say is that my edition has one of those reader's guides in the back. Now, normally I am okay with extras included in books. I like reading old introductions, criticisms, notes, etc, but for some reason, reader's guides irritate the crap out of me. I feel like the publishers are telling me how I SHOULD be interpreting the novel and how to think about it. I don't like that kind of pressure. Anyone else feel this way? Or am I just nuts...as usual? (it is also possible that I am a book snob. I can own that for once, I suppose).

8 comments:

  1. I feel like I have read this book, but I'm fuzzy on the details. It's probably one I need to revisit, too.

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  2. Reader's guides don't bother me. For a second I thought there was something wrong with me: *should* they bother me? Then I realized they don't bother me because there's no way I'd be swayed to think like the author just because of a reader's guide. I sometimes read them just to get a different swing on the novel. It has actually never occurred to me to think like the guide says I should. Interesting notion that they irritate you. Maybe you're thinking of new readers entering the novels, becoming swayed? The teacher in you? I wonder how readers many get irritated, and how many are more like me (skim the guide and don't feel much either way about it)?

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  3. Hm, now that I'm thinking on it, I am getting kind of irritated! :-)

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  4. They dont really bother me. I just don't -read- them. I do love to use the occational Spark Notes when reading the B&N editions of the Classics or any other Classic that may have them

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  5. I loved this book. It's so beautifully written. It's one of those ones where you can't stop thinking in the dialect of the book.
    I don't mind reader's guides but I don't read them until I've read the book and made my own mind up. Then I read the guide and see if they got it right! :)

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  6. I just ignore Reader's guides. I read this novel last year, and although I liked it, it din't have the impact I was expecting. Looking forward to your views on it.

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  7. I received a free copy of this book several years ago from the library. It was a part of some adult reading program, but I never read it so I didn't go to the discussion. The book still sits on my shelf unread. I think I'll have to remedy that!

    I find the reading guides to be rather insulting. Any reader, book group moderator, or high school teacher/college professor should be able to formulate discussion questions or a lead a general discussion without the publisher providing questions. I just ignore the guides.

    Grace at Feeding My Book Addiction

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  8. I need to read this book soon! It's been languishing on my shelves for too long. Hope you enjoy it!

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